Even if members of The Tribe occasionally outnumber their opposition, they are no match for it, not when the opposition bears arms and represents the state. Rawitz makes that chilling point in the scene's tense, final moments -- a subtle nod perhaps to recent rallies nationwide on behalf of other tribes. Women. Blacks. Immigrants.

Leon Evans, left, Ninah Snipes, right, and Alex Newkirk, above, are among the zealous young singers performing in a revival of the 1960s rock musical "Hair" at the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre in Arlington Heights.
- Courtesy of Ellen Brather

Rawitz does her best to make cohesive this flimsily plotted "tribal love-rock musical" by writers/lyricists Gerome Ragni and James Rado and composer Galt MacDermot. The characters are sketchily drawn, and no real narrative underscores the show. Essentially, "Hair" is a snapshot of an era, propelled by vignettes depicting the political upheaval, generational conflict, sexuality and drug use that defined 1960s counterculture. Nothing more. Nothing less.

The action, which unfolds on Adam Liston's steel scaffold set against the backdrop of an American flag, centers on a group of hippies who spend their time experimenting with drugs, having sex and protesting the Vietnam War. Led by the newly drafted Claude (a thoughtfully adrift Jonathan Stombres) and best friend Berger (Alex Levy, whose nicely frenzied performance is both endearing and maddening), the group also includes idealistic college student turned anti-war activist Sheila (Abby Vombrack), who both men seem to love although we never really know why.

Orbiting the threesome is Jeanie (Leah Davis), who's in love with Claude but pregnant with another man's child; waifish Crissy (Brittany Wolf), who pines for a boy she met in the park; and savvy Dionne, played by vocal powerhouse Ninah Snipes. Noah Spiegel-Blum, a fine singer, is terrific as cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead while Leon Evans channels James Brown as the defiant Hud, who effectively counters racial slurs in "Colored Spade."

Pregnant Jeanie (Leah Davis), center, expresses concern about the air in director Lauren Rawitz's revival of "Hair," running through July 1 at the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre in Arlington Heights.
- Courtesy of Ellen Prather

As reasoned as her direction is, Rawitz can't entirely rescue the second act's disjointed, overly long hallucination, however commendable her effort.

The final song "The Flesh Failures/Let The Sun Shine In" has always moved me. But Rawitz adds a coda, including striking, sobering projections by Liston that are especially relevant in the wake of Memorial Day.

Perhaps what's most impressive about Metropolis' revival is it demonstrates just how far the Arlington Heights theater has come since a time -- not so long ago -- when middling, modern romance musical revues dominated its stage.

The inclusion of "Hair" reflects the ambition and daring that has characterized Metropolis productions since Joe Keefe took over as artistic director in 2015.

Opening night's near-capacity crowd -- which included more young adults than usual -- suggests audiences have warmed to Keefe's vision. But not everyone. The couple sitting next to me left after three numbers, just as the cast began singing about hashish, cocaine and marijuana.

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked.
If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the X in the upper right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.